The Philipp ines’ internet speed for both fixed broadband and mobile internet continued its upturn in June compared with the previous month, according to the latest report of global speed monitoring firm Ookla.
The Ookla report said the country’s average download speed for fixed broadband stood at 66.55 megabits per second (Mbps) in June 2021, 11 percent up from the 59.73 Mbps speed recorded last May.
Mobile internet speed reached 32.84 Mbps in June, an increase of 2.7 percent from 31.98 Mbps recorded last May.
“The continuous upward trend in PH Internet speeds is a welcome development in our efforts to prepare for full participation in the global digital economy,” Gregorio Honasan II, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) secretary, said in a statement.
Last July 1, the DICT and Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) revised and expanded Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No 001, s. 2021 to harmonize the provisions of the original policy and Republic Act No. 11494, or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act.
The JMC has been instrumental in reducing procedural delays in securing the necessary permits and documentary requirements in the construction of common towers.
According to ARTA, the policy shortened the timeline to the target period of 16 days compared to the original 214 days. It also brought down permits from 30 to eight and documentary requirements from 86 to 35.
“For the rest of 2021 and in the succeeding years, your DICT shall continue to support the industries for telecommunications and information services to ensure that our Internet speed rankings will continue its upward climb,” Honasan said.
The upward trend gained traction after President Rodrigo Duterte issued directives last July 2020 which challenged telcos to shape up and called on government agencies to assist the telcos by streamlining the tower permitting process.
